Great Zhou Empire: Kill Zhao Kuangyin at the beginning

Chapter 37: The First Imperial Examination (Special thanks to book friends for finding books that I can read. It’s not easy to get 2 monthly passes! Thank you twice!)
Lu Mengzheng, also known as Shenggong, was born in Laizhou.

In the first year of Guangshun (951), Lu Mengzheng's grandfather Lu Mengqi became the Minister of Household Affairs and moved to Henan.

In the fifth year of Xian De's reign, Lu Mengzheng lived in Luoyang City with his father.

Because his father favored many concubines and was at odds with his mother, both his mother and Lu Mengzheng were expelled by his father to the Lishe Courtyard in Longmen Mountain. Lu Mengzheng studied hard in a cold kiln and was elected in the sixth year of Xiande.

At the beginning of this year, after Lu Mengzheng heard about the "Bianjing Incident" in which the Queen Mother and the young emperor killed Zhao Kuangyin's party, he thought of visiting the capital.

Lu Mengzheng was very happy to see that the capital had a new atmosphere under the New Deal. After returning to Luoyang, he intensified his studies. It was not until the time for the imperial examination that he came to Bianjing from Luoyang Hanyao to take the examination.

Lu Mengzheng pointed angrily at the shopkeeper and said:
"Shopkeeper, how can you talk like this?
How can you insult me ​​when I politely negotiate with you?

The so-called:
The sky has unpredictable events, and people have misfortunes and blessings. A horse has a journey of a thousand miles, and it cannot go there without a rider; a man has aspirations to reach the sky, but he cannot go there without luck.

Why do you think I'm lying to you? What an insult to gentlemen! "

The shopkeeper said angrily:

"Don't bother me if you don't have money! What's the use of being polite? Can I change it for money?
Get out of here, don't force me to call my man to beat you! "

Everyone onlookers in the lobby burst into laughter. After all, this "Rugui Inn" guest room costs ten cents a night, which is indeed the cheapest accommodation price in Bianjing now.

Lu Meng was so angry that he was shaking. When he saw several waiters in the inn rushing over from the back hall, he had no choice but to turn around and walk towards the door of the inn.

"My dear brother, wait a minute! Brother Yu will pay for your room fee!"

Lu Mengzheng turned his head when he heard the voice and saw that the person speaking was a young man of eighteen or nineteen years old. His accent sounded like he was from Luoyang.

Lu Mengzheng saluted and said: "Brother, how can you be so embarrassed? I am short of money, so I just need to find a roof to deal with it for one night."

The young man replied: "Brother Xian, your accent sounds like you are from Luoyang? Brother Yu has lived in Luoyang since he was a child. It is not easy for you and me to meet each other in this capital city while rushing for the exam."

As my dear brother said just now, "Heaven has unpredictable events, and people have misfortune and good fortune." Why does a small room fee matter?
Brother Yu, just pay it for you. "

The young man walked to the counter, paid ten cents to the shopkeeper, took Lu Mengzheng's hand, and sat down together at the table in the lobby.

Lu Mengzheng said: "My little brother Lu Mengzheng, do you dare to ask me your surname?"

The young man smiled and said: "Brother Xian, brother Fool's name is Zhang Qixian."

On May 16, the first year of Kaixi, the three-day imperial examination began.

The imperial examination has a long history in China and was founded in the Sui and Tang Dynasties. According to statistics, over the more than a thousand years of imperial examination history, more than half of people from poor backgrounds have passed the imperial examination and entered the upper class, a very high proportion.

In Chai Zongxun's previous life, the British examination system was originally based on the Chinese imperial examination system.

In the Kaixi Dynasty, the first imperial examination was held. The civil examination was held at Junyi Street in the inner city of Bianjing, while the military examination was held at Zhuque Street in the outer city.

At Chen time, more than 6,000 civil candidates and more than 3,000 military candidates waiting outside the court swarmed in to begin the imperial examination.

For this imperial examination, the Ministry of Rites dedicated more than two months to repair and build a new examination venue.

Chai Zongxun personally ordered Li Tao, the deputy prime minister and minister of the Ministry of Rites, to be the examiner of the literary examination. The examination questions were jointly set by the six ministers and ministers, and were divided into two parts: classics and policy theory. The chief examiner of the martial arts examination is Han Tong, and Zhang Yongde, Cao Bin and others are the deputy examiners. Emperor Chai Zongxun will also come to the examination room in person.

The civil servants walked into a small pavilion with two large wooden boards at the top and bottom and sat down. After the officials from the Ministry of Etiquette walked out of the main hall of the examination room and handed out the test papers, the three-day college examination began.

During this period, everything was eaten, drank, and slept in small rooms. The discipline was extremely strict, and no whispering was allowed. Even when using the toilet, one had to report to the thousands of forbidden soldiers who maintained order in the examination room before they could go in batches.

The martial arts examination is relatively free. On the first day of the martial arts examination, May 5, after entering the examination venue, people only need to complete the three martial arts tests of horse riding, stone lock lifting, and archery.

After two days of examinations, those who passed the test entered the assessment of the art of war and battle formations on the third day. The examiners randomly set questions to see whether the answers of the martial arts candidates were consistent with the principles of the art of war.

Chai Zongxun knew that although he studied Confucian classics with Taifu Wang Zhu and other great Confucian scholars once every two days, if he were to participate in the liberal arts examinations hosted by Li Tao, Fan Zhi and others, he might not be able to understand those unfamiliar and awkward examination questions. Therefore, He let the ministers of the DPRK and China take charge of the liberal arts examinations, while he focused on the martial arts examinations.

On the third day of the examination, at around 18:5 on May , after Chai Zongxun reported to his mother the Ming Dynasty, under the guard of people from the imperial army of Han Hui and Zhang Yongtong, he personally went to the large school field near Zhuque Street in the outer city of Bianjing to inspect the martial arts examination.

Seeing the emperor's arrival in person, all the martial arts candidates were extremely excited and followed all the examiners present to salute Chai Zongxun. The voice of "Long live, long live, long live" resounded throughout almost the entire Bianjing.

Chai Zongxun raised his hand and said with a smile:

"Everyone loves you!

Nowadays, the world is full of strife, and I am a land of tigers and wolves all week long. However, wars continued, killings filled the fields, and people were displaced.

I am holding a special martial arts examination this time because I hope to recruit brave generals, wise generals, and famous generals from among the people, so as to unify the world as soon as possible and relieve the people from the suffering of hanging upside down.

Members of the martial arts community, don’t be too nervous. I hope that you will all be heroes who are loyal to me and to my great Zhou Sheji! "

Chai Zongxun walked into the chair in front of the main tent and sat down. While waving to the martial arts examiners in the school field to continue today's military art and battle formation examination, he picked up the test results from the previous two days presented by Han Tong, the examiner, and read them.

After the two-day martial arts assessment on May 5th and 16th, more than 17 people passed the test, and they were all considered to be skilled, powerful and brave people.

Chai Zongxun looked at the list one by one, but found two "familiar" names among hundreds of people: Hu Yanzhan and Zhe Yuxun.

Chai Zongxun was overjoyed and looked at their resumes in detail:

Huyanzan was born into a military family in the fifth year of Tianfu (940) in the Later Jin Dynasty. His father Huyancong is now the commander of Mabudu in Zizhou of the Great Zhou Dynasty. Hu Yanzan joined the army as a knight at the age of 18.

At the beginning of this year, they heard that the emperor had added martial arts examinations to the first imperial examination in May. Huyan and his son were overjoyed. Huyanzan practiced martial arts diligently every day and came to Bianjing to wait for him a few days earlier.

His martial arts assessment ranked first among the more than 500 people who passed the test.

Zhe Yuxun was born in Fuzhou in the third year of Tianfu (938) in the Later Jin Dynasty. His family was a famous family in Yunzhong, and he was the eldest son of Zhe Deke.

In the first year of Xiande (954), Zhe De was awarded the title of Yong'an Army Jiedushi by Zhou Shizong. In the third year of Xiande (956), he led his troops to break through Beihanhe Town.

Zhe Yuxun is now a military junior high school, and his martial arts scores rank fifth.

Chai Zongxun saw that both of them were generals and were young and promising, so he paid attention to their military examinations.

(End of this chapter)